Adrienne barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes ever-so-slightly. Even she was taken aback at the efforts made to attack, but did it honestly have to be spiders? They're gross, sure, but spiders here, spiders there, spider this, spider that, you'd think that they get off to--OH GODS THE MENTAL IMAGE...

...Remind me to Vajura myself in the head when I get back. That's one image I DON'T need...

Adrienne gritted her teeth at that mental image, nonetheless. There's much more that needs to be done...when it comes to spiders, their rightful position is typically on the bottom of one's boot. At least, that's how she always saw it. Usually, bigger spiders just need bigger boots...

Except the Royal Fortune was so far away that accessing it was going to be pointless. She'd love to have that thing crashed into the fucker, but there wasn't going to be enough time...and with ballistae not having much effect, it was questionable what else could. A cave-in might be enough to kill it were a significant portion of the keep to drop...but she was certain that there'd be too many vibrational rebounds necessary for her to trigger such a collapse as it stood.

She thus deigned to check the beast's aura--to be more precise, the relative strength thereof--before deciding on her next course of action...

Night, realizing the monster was further away then he first thought figures it might be a good idea to look for a better way to kill more. Glancing around, he realizes he's in a mountain.....deet dee deeeee! If he can cause some kind of rockslide it may save him some arrows. There is never any point in wasting one weapon's ammo when another weapon can be more effective with one shot. Then Night notices that the dwarf is contemplating a loose looking piece of wall above the damn.

He said, "Let's make a firing post by moving those rocks above the monster".

Not one to discount expertise Night looks to his short, stocky, bearded comrade to see if his was the same thought.

The spider was further away than Kilisha had realized at first. And if ballistae were in use against the thing, her bow probably wasn't going to make much of a difference. But on the other hand, her demonic strength would make a shot from her recurve as powerful as a crossbow bolt. If the gods favored her (she had met one of them in person once), one lucky shot might make all the difference.

Probably not, but one experimental shot wouldn't hurt. An arrow for SCIENCE!

(Assuming a round has officially passed, firing the afformentioned called shot.)

Night turns and runs as fast as he can to the spot in question, but he is careful not to fall. Thinking Storri is planning a physical push, when he gets there he pulls his staff in preparation for the push. He then watches for his companion to give the go ahead.

Then Night understands his mistake. As the dwarf begins casting Night realizes that he is using his Inner Strength. Cursing his ignorance, he gets well away from the rocks. He hopes that a ledge is left that he can stand on and fire down from. He figures, if not then his present standing should do.

He draws his bow and presses against the part of wall he hopes wont be moving anytime soon.

The spider's aura, Adrienne could see, was really no stronger than that of a common beast. There were indications of something... extra at work, but nothing that should interfere with her ability to lob spells at it.

Despite the long range, Kilisha was able to lodge an arrow in the spider, a little way back of the head. Not that this slowed it down any, but every little bit would count.

Night, through a combination of speed and agility, managed to get himself level with the leading dwarves. Still a safe distance away when Storri triggered his avalanche. Hammered by rocks, the spider hunkered down for a few moments before resuming its progress, only slightly battered. The smaller spiders still clinging to its back were less fortunate, many being crushed or swept off and into the waters of the lake. That would no doubt be a relief to the defenders.

Storri's expression turned stern, worried at how the thing had shrugged off the impacts so easily. Manifesting a ball of flame in one hand, he hurled it at the monstrosity, yelling out "Lit's see hoo ye loch thes!" as he did.

Leaving the big spider to more powerful weapons, Night begins shooting at individual little spiders. Just before he fires the first one he reminds himself to aim small. Aiming center mass right behind the head, he fires the first one. Having twenty arrows will hopefully make a dent.

Of course Kilisha wasn't surprised that her arrow didn't slow down the spider, especially not after seeing the falling rocks only slightly batter the thing. She wasn't going to use her arrows on the smaller spiders, though. If she did have to fight them, she would use her twin swords. As for the big spider, she didn't want to get up close and personal with that thing, so she would put all of her arrows into it if she had to. Every little bit would count, and the sooner the thing went down, the less chance it would have of decimating the dwarves.

Nocking another arrow, she fired at the creature again. This time, she didn't bother to spend any extra time aiming at any specific part, content to hit it wherever she could.

Adrienne noted those details. Its aura may be nothing special, but the avalanche that occurred was clearly ineffective aside from buying as much time as it lasted...it was large enough for that alright. ...large enough to break into a keep that was holding a group of four who were to destroy a highly valued manalogical artifact, and possibly ruin the means of destroying it in the process...

...but there was something else that was off about this. Namely, the "something extra" that she saw in addition to the aura. It was as if something else was there. And it was notable enough to be wary of it...

"Hey, everyone, listen. As cold as it sounds, we didn't come here to protect the hold from an attack. We came to destroy that fucking censer, and I'll be damned if we don't because we're staying here, trying to ineffectively fight off some stupid giant spider!" Collecting herself, she then added, "There's something distinctively strange about this bastard in particular that I can see. So here we go: If your second assault proves to be totally ineffective, then let's get the hell out of here, and get to the Anvil as soon as possible!" That may have been cold, callous, and rather un-dwarven as well, but the point was significant enough. There was no point in trying to fight something that couldn't be beaten, especially when failure means failure in the ultimate objective of this mission, as she noted, before attempting her own magical assault on the beast...

'Isolate, compress, and draw back the moisture in the air, before freezing and firing it...that should do some damage to it...' she thought, as exactly that happened--drawing her hands back as if she was ready to throw a javelin, a roughly spearlike shape of water formed, before instantaneously freezing, and upon the shout of "Burst forth! Nivari!", the lance of ice shot forth lightning-quick toward the giant spider.

Another of Kilisha's arrows struck the spider, swiftly followed by fire and ice in quick succession. The combination proved rather painful for the creature, causing it to rear up briefly in protest. Off to the left, two ballistas were now properly sited, their crews loading and drawing them.

By now, the few lesser spiders remaining with it were either fried or advancing under their own steam. Night's arrow took one of those remaining from its feet, before the dwarven line crashed into them. Without numbers on their side, most of the spiders were cut or smashed apart. The larger one, unfortunately, was made of sterner stuff, flinging dwarves aside with its legs and biting down on one unfortunate individual, leaving him lying limp on the ground.

Cold as Adrienne's advice may have been, Kilisha had to acknowledge that if they weren't doing any good, it would be better to get away before it was too late. Maybe if they got the censer out of the hold, the spider would quit trying to break in. But then again, it was hard to tell with giant monsters just how much damage was being done.

"Looks like it felt that, anyway," Kilisha observed. "If we're making it bleed, it can't keep going forever, can it?"

Of course it couldn't. That is, unless it could.

"Those ballistas are about to fire," the succubus pointed out, gesturing towards the two siege weapons to the left. "Let's see how that turns out before we decide anything."

Then, not one to stand around ineffectively, Kilisha fired yet another shot at the giant spider below.

Night, seeing that the only real target left was the monster, he tries to judge the distance from the ledge to the spiders back. With no footwear, he could jump and use all four sets of claws to latch onto it's back. Then, using his toe claws to grip he could use his knives to cut into the beast. If the distance seems too much he figures on simply firing till it's dead or until they go to the anvil.

Snorri noted the effect his and the other mage's spells had on the monstrosity with a grin. With a weakness exposed he knew that victory was close at hand and, more importantly, vindication for those below who'd sold their lives in defense of the hold.

"Burst it wi' mair ice, lass! In th' heed!" he yelled to Adrienne, conjuring another ball of flame and hurling it at the creature's face.

(Fire 2 again, trying to coordinate with Adrienne if she uses another ice spell)

Night suddenly realized that it wouldn't take much for the magic users to catch him with a missile if he was on top of the spider. He suddenly had an image of himself frozen and burned at the same time. Shuddering, he quickly becomes content with firing arrows at the monster.

Adrienne saw the results. She also heard the encouragement. Thing is...she had a better idea. As effective as her Nivari was, it still had to punch through the shell to get an effect--but that spider was also a living being. ...and like all living beings, with an exception or two in the occasion of those who had natural manalogical energy imbalances, had the same fundamental weaknesses--now only for one that manages to get through...

...of course! Induction of a sympathetic frequency to create a backbuilding reaction prior to the energy cascade! It's so simple, I have no idea how the hell I forgot about it. I have the time for one such shot, after all...

...and so she defied orders, effectively, as a ring of arcane runes circled her outstretched left wrist, and a larger one materialized in front of her hand...those looking astrally could see a significant mana displacement, though what else is unsure...

Kilisha's next arrow seems to strike something vital, causing one leg to lock in place and setting the spider to twitching spasmodically. Storri's fire strikes almost simultaneously with the first ballista bolt, the second going wide to the tune of several swear words. Night's arrow forms part of a ragged volley as several crossbows are brought into play by dwarves with the foresight to grab them.

Badly burned, and with a large ballista bolt sticking out of its midsection, along with numerous smaller projectiles, the spider is clearly in a bad way. Nevertheless, it continues forward, mechanically. Ignoring the dwarves hacking at its heavily armoured legs, it focuses on a single target - Night.

Wounded it may be, but it's still more than capable of hitting its chosen target. Fangs stab into Night's flesh, and paralytic venom courses into his bloodstream, rendering him helpless as he is lifted skywards. Prey secured, the spider begins to turn. The dam wall is still dreadfully close, and if it reaches it, the spider's retreat is all but assured.

((28 damage to Night, and he's paralysed for the foreseeable future.))

Kilisha's minor victory in hitting one of the spider's important parts was soon marred as the creature closed the gap more quickly than expected and grabbed Night. The succubus cursed under her breath. Unfortunately, there was still nothing she could do but keep firing her bow. But this time, she focused her effort and took extra careful aim before releasing, seeing that it was now extremely important not to miss.

'Damn it all', Adrienne thought as she charged her spell...you'd think it wouldn't be that hard for allies to stay out of the way...but nonetheless, now wasn't the time for thought. If she hesitated, the manalogical twin-charge would be lost, and her efforts gone to waste...but she had little idea of why it singled out that...weird guy. It was, to say the least, unusual that it would pick through what looked like slower, easier-to-grab prey for something that was out of the way, and ultimately a bit more agile...

But that wasn't to be answered immediately. She needed to get rid of the bastard, fast...and make sure nobody was in the way. With a warning shout of "Clear out!!!" she outstretched her active arm toward the spider...with the occasional buzz of static as electricity gathered into her outstretched palm as a large orb, she concluded the spell with "Fire! VAJURA!!", as a bolt of electricity, roughly bigger than the thickness of her wrist, shot toward the massive bug...

As another of Kilisha's arrows thudded into the spider, Storri let fly with a fireball. Seeing a few enthusiasts hacking at the abomination's legs, he was forced to place his fireball a bit further forward than he otherwise might, but the result was at least worth the effort. The blast kocked its front two legs askew, drastically slowing its progress as it tried to recover its balance.

Adrienne's blast came as the icing on the cake, tearing into the creature's abdomen and setting it twitching all over. The spider's movements were definitely jerkier now, rents and tears plainly visible across its body. Still it staggered forwards, though it no longer seemed likely that it would reach the dam edge before some final strike finished it off.

Storri was beginning to feel fatigue setting in. He couldn't remember the last time he'd expended so much of his power so quickly, and it was having a marked effect on the dwarf. There'd be time for rest and recuperation later, though. Shaping a mass of rock between his hands he took careful aim at one of the spider's legs and loosed the projectile.

("Quake 1" at the most exposed leg of the giant spider. I should probably change some of these spell names.)

"No, I don't," Kilisha hastily answered while she took aim for the next shot. "Last I saw, he still had it."

Obviously, the implications of that were dire, but right now was no time to dwell on them. She was no less unhappy with what had developed than anyone else (except perhaps Night himself), but for now all she could do was concentrate on putting as many arrows into the spider as she could. It didn't look like the thing was going to get away, but that was no reason to let up now.

"...he? ...you don't mean..." Adrienne's voice lowered with a tone of what can only be irritation and anger. Someone who had been carrying the censer, something that everyone -knew- was important to their current enemy, moronically got close to the damn spider. That only confirmed her suspicion about what that damn thing really was, and why it was really here.

"KILL IT NOW! IT'S A RETRIEVAL BEAST! IT'S ONLY THERE TO GET THE DAMN CENSER. DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KILL THE BASTARD NOW!" she yelled with part desperation, and part fury. Closing her eyes, the Mage Corps cadet once again outstretched her arm, a lance of ice forming outward from the palm of her hand...upon the moment the lance gained critical mass, she fired it, aiming at one of the wounds in the creature's shell. Surface damage was one thing, but to kill, you had to make sure you got well beyond that...

It was difficult to tell who got the final blow in, but by the time another pair of ballista bolts had thudded home, the spider was definitely dead. Still, it wasn't long before Thane Axegrinder worked his way around to the front and put an axe between its myriad eyes, just to be sure.

There were still quite a few of the smaller ones infesting the top of the dam, but the dwarves there were organised now, and steadily cutting them down. It was all over, it seemed, bar the cleanup. And of course, ascertaining the fate of Night.

He cast a look around at the field of battle, trying to gauge how badly this assault had cost the hold. It looked like a solid victory, but there would be cost paid in blood for it. More lines for the Book of Grudges, he though to himself.

The remaining spiders were soon dealt with, and Night was found (thankfully alive) and patched up by a helpful cleric. Casualties, it seemed, had been mercifully light, though there would be a solid entry in the Book of Grudges about tonight's events. Disposing of the giant spider was likely to take some time, and there might be some repair work required thanks to Storri's landslide. Still, on the whole, the Hold had come out of the situation well.

Thane Axegrinder wasted no time in calling an impromptu council with the visitors, not far from the location where they'd rained spells and arrows at the spider. "Well, the drow know ye're here for sure," He said without preamble, "We've not seen the last o' their tricks, I'll be bound. We've got scouts out in the tunnels already, so ye should have a clean run at the Anvil come morning. No guarrantees, mind. If ye want to steal a march on them, I'll not be the one to tell ye no. And ye needn't worry about missing the big fight; ye ought to be back before we're ready to march."

The 'big fight' would probably be news to all concerned, but after tonight's events, there were a lot of angry dwarves milling about. Axegrinder clearly intended to channel that anger towards woe for the drow.

(Night is up and about once more, and patched up to full HP thanks to clerical healing. 300 XP apiece for the fight.)

Kilisha, at least, was relieved to find Night still alive. This ordeal had ended fairly well, in her opinion. Of course, any ending that didn't involve the censer being carried off by the drow was a good ending. Still...

"You're going to be like the king on a chess board as long as you've got that thing," she eventually found an occasion to tell him. "So try to watch out for yourself, or it'll be all over for the rest of us too. I'll try to look out for you too, though, since we're all in this together."

As for the question of when to set out, she thought she'd leave that up to the mages. They were smarter than she was, knowledge-wise at least. And they were the ones who had been tossing spells just now. The succubus herself was feeling a bit drained now from the extreme level of focus she'd put into keeping that bow aimed perfectly, but she would still be able to fight effectively even now. The magic users were the ones who really needed to keep their stores of energy up.

The mention of "the big fight" caught Storri's attention. They'd suffered the drow for a long time now, and it seemed Thane Axegrinder had decided that it was finally time for some grudges were to be answered. What prompted him to speak were Kiliasha's words to Night.

Adrienne had been sitting to the side, listening to the whole thing go on. She honestly felt no reason to get involved in the "big fight"--she was here to destroy the censer, nothing more. However, at the proposition of creating a decoy, she interrupted, feeling the proposal to be a bit out of bounds compared to what they had to work with.

"It's infeasible, to say the least, about creating a decoy. First off, you probably have some idea of how long it takes metal to be properly heated, altered, and cooled--and that's just to create something, rather than create a precise replica. We're leaving by tomorrow at the latest, if I don't decide it's a better idea to head off sooner, as to make sure we don't get further bogged down by even greater attacks--assuming an optimal outcome."

She continued, "However, if I'm remembering correctly, it would take a great deal of time, additionally, to prepare any sort of enchantment on any item. And that's once again stating a standard enchantment. What you're proposing is that we try to create an illusory aura that precisely mimicks that of a high-powered magical artifact. From how it feels, you've got a better chance of making me convincingly dress up as one of your race without employing illusions than you do trying to make a replica that could honestly fool them. And I would err on the side of safety when suggesting to put spells on the real thing. It's hard to say what would and what wouldn't set off the failsafe, and from what I've heard of what it does, I'd rather NOT set it off."

All the while, though, she looked at the censer astrally and puzzled over the feasibility of such a feat in her mind as she concluded; "As such, our greatest friend is probably speed, rather than deception."

When Night wakes up he is confused at first. Then, as he gains his bearing, he slowly realizes what must have happened. Kicking himself for his stupidity, he listens to those in earshot and learns that things atleast ended well.

To the female he says, "I will be more careful in the future. I miscalculated the distance from me to the spider. I will try not to put so many at risk again". To the dwarf Night states, "A copy of the enemy's target is always a wise plan" as he takes his pack off. He then opens it, digs around without moving too many contents-an attempt to still keep the inner pocket a secret-and extracts the little chest. The alert eye may see a slight indent form where the censer had been. Night then hands the thing to the dwarf so that he can do his thing.

"Put that thing the hell back where you got it out of in your pack," Adrienne commanded Night. He had apparently either not understoor or not listened at -all- to what she had to say before he took it out. So she would have to dumb it down for him, it would seem.

"You are going along with the proposal of creating a copy of a high-powered magical device with an astral signature so distinctive that the drow can send retriever beasts from an indeterminable distance to locate, subdue, and return the individual holding it based solely on this astral signature. Simply put, that thing has an aura distinctive and powerful enough that it would be absolutely futile to copy the signature in question. Never mind what I had said before about replicating it physically." She shook her head. Hopefully, though, that would get it into his.

If anyone was finding the conversation hard to follow now, it was Kilisha. All this magic talk was making her head spin, and it was requiring a conscious effort not to look visibly confused. Eventually, though, she gathered enough to piece together the idea that making a decoy of the censer was going to be practically impossible.

"Ah well, it can't be helped," she sighed, giving Night a faint look of sympathy. If she hadn't purposefully refrained from chiming in, knowing that she didn't understand what was being discussed, she could have been the one getting lectured by Adrienne. "Even if we could make a decoy, we couldn't very well split the group up, could we? We've only got one guide, after all, and the rest of us don't know the land."

Night puts the censer away. he then stands and puts his pack back on. He realizes that there is a huge difference between his old life of simple family feuds, and this new life of complicated unknown. He tells himself that from now on he will have to hear the finished plan before jumping at the first solution that sounds good. At which point he stands back and simply listens to the ones that are used to this lifestyle as they determine the next move.

As nobody seems eager to make an early start on the trip, the group retire to their various lodgings, as do most of the dwarves. Although it's doubtful that the drow will try anything else quite so soon, the watch has been beefed up considerably, and the nearer tunnels are being checked to be sure that nobody's trying to slip through them under cover of a distraction. Even the crew of the Royal Fortune have posted an extra watch. The spider came all too close to where the airship is moored, and the captain has no interest in caught off guard again.

Morning dawns bright and clear, the rising clatter of activity soon rousing even those few inclined to sleep in. A hearty and perhaps rather solid to some breakfast is served in the hall, giving the group an opportunity to make any final plans before they set out. Sacred place or not, there is a lot of ground to cover between the hold and the shrine, much of it untamed.

Night awakens and repacks his pack before going to breakfast. Then taking his staff he carves a circle into it and etches a two line reminder of the previous nights battle. He then follows the scent of good food to the hall. Looking at the feast before him he picks a sampling of everything, after filling his plate he eats heartily. Seeing some of the liquids on the table he fills his cup with the most interesting- looking one. Living his life on rations and melted snow this is a new experience for him. After Night is content he wraps some of the more solid food that he liked in some extra cloth from a pack pocket and stores the chow away for the road. He then glances around to see if he can spot his comrades.

Storri had stayed up late that night, asking his clan what they knew of the Shrine and the path that lead to it. Only a foolish dwarf set out to accomplish a task unprepared, and this certainly was one task for which failure was not an option. He would bring what he'd learned to the attention of the others at breakfast. Once he'd had his fill, of course.

Some of the dwarven food may have seemed a bit solid to Kilisha, but that didn't stop her from eating as much of it as she could. A difficult trek lay ahead, after all. Of course, as far as drinks went, she tried to stick to the least alcoholic ones available, since setting out drunk probably wouldn't end well. Once she was done with all that, she also set out to look for the rest of the group.

Adrienne slept lightly that night. There were way too many issues not to. The drow could send another attacker at any time, and she could only set her mind on what the journey was supposed to be like last night. Given that they were being given an escort in the form of the dwarf with them right now, it was more than likely that the area was hostile. And so...her uneasy sleep led to an uneasy awakening, eventually.

...at the breakfast, she didn't bother to eat much at all. Too much food would only weigh one down. Slowing oneself in a dangerous situation was foolish, to say the least, and she could create her own sustenance, despite disliking the taste of it. Never minding the alcohol--that would be suicide.

Adrienne did bother to ask around about any creatures that are known to be on the path--if possible. Though given their apparent disdain for, particularly the academic and scientific variants of spellcasters...she wasn't expecting much in the way of luck here.